---- could finally use this to pressure Kieran, and he was enjoying every second. "Kieran, you heard her. If you want to protect her, you owe me satisfaction!" Kieran asked with forced patience, "What kind of satisfaction do you want?" Seth sneered, raising his left hand with unmistakable provocation in his eyes. "My hand was cut by her silver dagger. What do you think?" Kieran turned to Adrian. "Cover her eyes." Before anyone could react, Kieran grabbed the silver dagger and plunged it into his own left hand. Blood immediately pooled on the forest floor. "Ts this satisfaction enough?" Scarlett flew to his side, trembling hands trying to stop the bleeding. "Kieran, how could you be so foolish? I need to get ---- you to a hospital." Kieran stroked her hair gently. "Don't be afraid. I'm here." I stood in the distance, wanting to flee but feeling like my feet were weighted with lead. Ina daze, I seemed to see the Kieran from years ago. Back then, I'd been attacked by rogue wolves on my way home. Kieran fought four rogues alone, getting beaten bloody while keeping me completely unharmed beneath his protection. I would never forget the stars in Kieran's eyes when he looked at me then: "Don't cry, silly girl. Taking wounds for the one you love is the ultimate romance-a man's badge of honor." The man before me was just as gentle, but now it was for another woman. Seth stood up, clapping slowly. "Kieran Blackwood, they say heroes fall for ---- beautiful women. You'd sacrifice a hand for this little thing? How touching." "But your hero-rescues-beauty routine seems awfully practiced. Did you trick your Luna into mating with you the same way?" "T wonder what your devastatingly beautiful Luna would think if she knew how you protect this little bitch." I'd never liked watching him get hurt. I knew his fighting style-Alpha fought to win at any cost, destroying enemies even if it meant destroying himself. I thought it was too dangerous and unnecessary. For my sake, Kieran had indeed stopped participating in frontline combat, focusing more on strategy. But in battles requiring his personal involvement, he'd still lose himself in the fight and forget about self-preservation. When I discovered this, I was furious. Kieran looked at me with complete sincerity, explaining that charging into battle was an iron rule drilled ---- into him since childhood. Without upholding it, he couldn't maintain the pack's strongest position. He couldn't change. He promised repeatedly that he'd absolutely put his own safety first, admitting he'd still occasionally get absorbed in evenly-matched fights. Now, after all my years of$$7) trying to make Alpha value his body and protect himself, Scarlett had easily made him self-harm. Kieran's pale face was full of rage, his eyes holding a viciousness I'd never seen before. "If Aria hears even one word about tonight, Seth Williams, you'd better prepare for my revenge. You know I mean what I say!" Seth left angrily, spitting out, "Lunatic!" as he called his people to leave for the hospital. I hid nearby, watching Kieran's group depart. Adrian walked beside him, frustrated. "I told you to come with us, but you insisted on going home to your Luna. If you hadn't left, how would Seth